Apr 15, 2013

Annie Sloan Unfolded & Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint (Review)

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My sister Tamra is so creative. She is ALWAYS working on some project or another. She also has 6 children.. Go figure! I have a hard time finding time to for myself with three kids, let alone get things done, sigh. I call my sister, ‘Martha Stewart, because she literally can do it ALL.

annie sloan

When she heard I was able to review products from Annie Sloan Unfolded & Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint, she went CRAZY. So, I allowed her to do this review for me!

annie sloan paint

We were sent an array of Annie Sloan products to use on her project. Below, you will read her honest thoughts on the products and see pictures of her project!!

annie sloan chalk

My Sister’s Review…

What did you think of the products when they arrived?

The products arrived in excellent condition and were packaged well. I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that I received more paint than I had thought I would receive! I was thrilled to receive not 1 but 4 quarts of the Provence color paint!

 shelf

Did they work out how you thought they would? Thoughts??

I was very excited to get to work and paint some things I have been wanting to paint… As far as the paint color, I love it! Perfect color for what I wanted.

bench

What project did you want to use it on?

I painted a bench, a wall shelf, a smaller bench, and a chalkboard/cork board.

PicMonkey Collage

Explain what you did..

-first thing I painted was a chalk/cork board I have that I did not like the color of because it blended too much with the color of my walls and I wanted to change that; so I used the old white, followed by the soft wax and it turned out just how I wanted it to. Now it stands out on my wall.

shelving

-Then I painted a bench that, again, I did not like the color of. So this time I used the Provence blue and waxed it afterwards, then distressed it a little and it looks so much better!
-With the rest of my little pot of old white, I painted a wall shelf. It too stands out now against my walls and I love it. So I got two projects out of that little pot of old white!
-my last project was a little bench that I wanted to give a happy color to and chose the Provence again. I did not wax this piece because I wanted it to be rustic and it didn’t matter.
shelvings
Did the projects turn out okay or just how you thought it would?
The projects turned out great! So impressed and happy that I didn’t have to sand or prime the surfaces of my projects first.. what a time saver! All I had to do was open up the can of paint and start painting! Even the little pot of the old white paint went further than I thought it could. I like the way the paint goes on and I like the matte finish of the paint. And it dries so fast, I hardly had to wait between coats. As far as the wax goes, I had never used wax before so that was the only thing that made me a little nervous, wondering if I was doing it right. True that you don’t need very much of that stuff at all. I wished I would have had some sort of special brush for the waxing- the Annie Sloan wax brush would be the best, but because it is so expensive I just couldn’t justify it. Instead, I improvised with what I already had on hand… I actually took two cheap chip brushes and duck-taped them together and used that as my waxing brush. It worked good enough but I know that a real wax brush would have made the projects go a lot faster. The  Quick and Easy Paint Transformations book was very helpful too. I loved being able to see all of the before and after photos of many different projects, in this helpful book!
Would you buy/recommend Annie Sloan?

Yes! I would definitely buy and recommend Annie Sloan paint… In fact I liked what was sent to me to review so much that when I was in a town that sells the Annie Sloan paint,(The Purple Pear in Portland, Oregon) I bought a quart of the old white, plus a can of the dark wax. Yes, the paint and the wax are very expensive… I could have bought a whole gallon of regular paint for the price I paid for the quart of the Annie Sloan paint alone, but it’s worth it:) I have a much bigger project to paint that I am eagerly anticipating and will use the old white and the dark wax on it. I am also excited about having more of the Provence paint to use!

Thank you for allowing me to do this review. I very much appreciated the opportunity to try these products out and will (and have already) be recommending Annie Sloan to all my painting friends:)

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So, as you can see, my sister just loved Annie Sloan!! And you can see why! Her projects turned out beautiful, as always!

Connect with Annie Sloan Unfolded on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube!

Buy

You can purchase Annie Sloan Unfolded & Chalk Paint® decorative paint and other products, online at http://www.anniesloan.com/

*Product was received. All opinions are that of my sister. 

 

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Mar 26, 2013

Little Miss Do-It-Yourself: A DIY Doll Furniture Company!

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LittleMissDIY-logo

Looking for fun ways to spend time with your kids? I always am! I am always looking for fun projects to help get my kids involved in!

A really fun way to get kids involved in a project is a DIY project! Little Miss Do-It-Yourself is a really fun and cute DIY Doll Furniture Company. They have fun projects for you and your kids.

doll_furniture

All of the doll furniture sold on their site is made of unfinished wood that can be painted or stained, then easily assembled! The furniture comes in three different sizes: small for dolls 4″- 6,” medium for dolls 7″-11″ (Barbie sized), and large for dolls 12″- 18″ (American Girl sized). I love this site so far, and am excited to get some things for me and my daughter (and son!) to put together and paint!

dollhouse_chair

This site is not just about doll furniture though, they also have accessories for the furniture, too! Like cute pillows and bed spreads!

doll_bed

I love the idea of building things with my kids and making special memories with them. Then, they can treasure the furniture we made together and maybe one day, give it to their child!

Little Miss Do-It-Yourself is a Utah-based company that makes custom toys and wooden projects for families to build and create memories. They pride themselves on the quality of their toys. Their dollhouse furniture provides a great one-time project with your daughters (or sons!) that will last for years of playing make-believe and dress up!

So, if you are looking for a really cute and fun DIY project to do with your kids, I recommend checking out Little Miss Do-It-Yourself and check out their adorable doll furniture!

What things do you enjoy doing with your kids? What projects are you working on with them?

Disclosure:

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jan 26, 2012

HearthSong Valentine Making Kit Review & Giveaway!

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CONTEST OVER! CONGRATS TO

Lily Kwan #634!!

 

Can you believe that Valentines Day is going to be here in no time flat?! I am shocked at how quickly times flies, just shocked. Valentines Day is one of my favorite holidays, not only because there is goodies involved, but because I love creating things with my kids and Valentines Day is all about making cards to give to your friends and loved ones!

Isn’t The Box Cute?

Me and my kids received the HearthSong Valentine Making Kit to review! We got started on it the next day and boy did we have some kind of fun and then some!!! This is a great little kit with everything inside to make adorable Valentines Day cards, envelopes and more!

The Kit Comes With:

• 30 sheets of 9″ x 12″ construction paper (15 red, 15 white)
• 24 white heart-shaped doilies
• 12 red heart doilies
• textured tissue paper (in red, white and pink)
• 32 full-color floral hearts
• pages of stickers
• Colorful glitter
• Glue stick

Plus I received lots of fun stickers and decorating chalks to make some real masterpieces and make we did!!! It was so much fun letting my kids go crazy with their imaginations! Each young cousin of my kids, got a gorgeously decorated Valentines Day Card! We are shipping them out soon as they all live far away from us. I think they will love them!!

 

The decorating chalks are super fun and I love that they come with two little applicators to use and that the chalk comes in a plastic case. So, when you are all done, simply snap the plastic case shut, and store it! Anything easier for me is good!! The only “messy” part of this kit was of course that glitter. So, I was in charge of the glitter :) But, I had so much fun with the glitter I ended up getting it on my floor anyways, LOL! So worth the fun though!!

This kit also comes with a how-to-make Valentines Book that shows you how to make Valentines and the envelopes, we did not use that book as you can see. The kids just used their imaginations!

Buy

You can purchase this adorable, fun and crafty Valentines Kit by visiting HearthSong online at http://www.hearthsong.com/

Win

One person is going to win the HearthSong Valentine Making Kit!!

How?

Easy! Just use Rafflecopter below! There are no mandatory entries. You can do one or all, good luck!

Disclosure:

I was sent product to review. These are my own honest opinions! Thanks ;)
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Jan 16, 2012

Getting Great Skin In The Comfort Of Your Own Home

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Do you ever have a spa day for YOU? If not, you really should. Nothing makes a woman feel more womanly and pampered than a great spa day. You don’t have to actually visit the spa, to do this. You can do it from the comfort of your own home! A relaxing day at the spa should be a necessity for us all. This is a multi-tasking fast paced world that we live in and we deserve some “me” time!! It is no mystery why at-home spa and beauty treatments are so popular.

One of the most important and pampering thing you can do for yourself and your skin, is microdermabrasion! There are a ton of products on the market, that are great and allow you to do this at home. Microdermabrasion lets you achieve a healthy, youthful and fresh-faced glow. I have tried a few great products and all of them have been great. It is very important to exfoliate your skin at least 2 times a week, but you cannot forget about your face too!

ShopNBC offers a variety of microdermabrasion and exfoliation products. They are easy, non-evasive facial treatments that provide the same results as those high-end day spas you see, without that horribly high prices! For me, I don’t like to be seen in public without makeup, EVER. So the out of home spa treatments are not really an option for me. I always do my own facials at home! No worries about someone seeing me without makeup or looking silly :)

Thanks to PMD, Skinn, Isomers and other great brands, at-home exfoliation treatments has never been easier to achieve and are very affordable for anyone! There are tons of microdermabrasion kits available on the market, you just have to choose which one you are most interested in. I have included a few below:

*ISOMERS Manual Microderm Cleanser: very simple to use. Comes in a bottle. Use 1-4 times per week or as often as necessary. Apply a small amount to wet skin using your hands or a soft washcloth. Massage gently for one minute, giving special attention to areas of concern. Rinse well with tepid water.

*Skinn DermAppeal Microderm: This amazing, aluminum oxide free resurfacing and revitalizing treatment utilizes a naturally occurring mineral from the Dead Sea. Along with Papaya and Pineapple Extracts to give you the benefits of a microdermabrasion treatment at the convenience of your own home. Use once or twice a week for a softer, smoother, less lined, no pore look.

*DermaWand RHF Oxygenating Skin System w/ Five-Piece Skincare Set: DermaWand RHF (Radio High Frequency) works by stimulating and massaging the skin as well as producing enriched oxygen for better tone and texture and to help smooth, lift and refresh your skin in the comfort of your own home. For use on the face to help in the reduction of the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Now, this does not just have to be about your face, it is about your whole body in general. Below are some tips for a relaxing spa day in your home!!

*Draw a hot bath and throw in some fresh rose petals, natural essential oil (rose, orange, etc..) and soak for 1/2 hour (make sure to have some soft, relaxing music playing and light some candles too!)

*Warm your body lotion in a sink filled with warm water. Simply fill your sink enough to cover your bottle of lotion, in warm water. When you get out of your bath, your lotion will be warm on your skin and absorb better!

*Cut up a fresh lemon and rub it on rough knees, ankles, elbows or where ever you have rough skin. This will help slough away those dead skin cells, helping to leave your skin softer than ever! The lemon will even lighten any dark spots you may have!

*Cut up a cucumber, and place one cucumber slice on each eye, relax on the couch for about 15 minutes. This is supposed to help with puffy eyes. It refreshes your eyes in no time flat leaving you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed :)

*avocado Facial Mask. Take 1/2 of avocado and mash it up (if your skin is oily you can add 1 egg white and one teaspoon of lemon juice and mix in with avocado) smear on face and wait 10-15 minutes. Wash off!

 Have you ever given yourself an at-home spa day? If not, why?

 

“This partnered post is brought to you by ShopNBC”

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Dec 15, 2011

I’m Not Bored Anymore Art Jar From The Land of Nod (Giveaway!)

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CONTEST OVER! CONGRATS TO

Jo Sue #552!!

 

Every one who has a child knows those words “Mommy, I am sooooo bored” but yet they have 12,898 toys laying around.. sigh!

Especially during the winter months, they can get really bored, being stuck inside the house. I try to get my kids outside as much as possible, when the weather allows, but that is becoming less and less as the winter progresses.

Keeping kids minds active is super important. We do crafts and bake a lot when the weather is yucky outside. Another great thing, I have recently became aware of, is the “I’m Not Bored Anymore Art Jar” from The Land of Nod.

This large plastic jar is filled to the brim with art goodies for your child (and you!). I mean really, there is a TON of art supplies in this jar. I was surprised when I opened it!

Things like:

Pom poms, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, glue pens, construction paper (yep that too!!!), wooden buttons, spools, beads, craft stickers and MORE! See, told you it was a LOT!

Think of all the super fun things you and your kids can create on that next rainy, stormy day! Tons of potential projects, all you need now is your imagination!! And kids have that, right?! (*Warning, this contains small parts and is not intended for children 3 and under!!!).

Living in Washington State, my kids are inside a lot during the colder months because we get SO MUCH rain! So this is definitely our new go to fun kit, when the weather is not cooperating!!

Buy

You can purchase this super fun “I’m Not Bored Anymore Art Jar” by visiting The Land of Nod!

Win

One person is going to win this fun art jar!

How?

Easy! Just use Rafflecopter below!

Disclosure:

I was sent product for this post. These are my own honest opinions, thanks!

 

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Dec 9, 2011

Wuggle Pets Review! This Years Hottest Toy!

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My kids absolutely love creating things, from drawing and coloring to using clay to make things, they just love to create! The Wuggle Pets came in the mail for my kids and man they love this toy!!

What is Wuggle Pets? Wuggle Pets is an adorable pet that your child gets to bring to life!! Think Build-a-Bear! They are fun-filled pets that your little ones will love to create! They are super easy to make and bring to life in no time! The Wuggle Pets kit comes with:

  • Cuddly Puppy And Magical Unicorn Pets With Clip Attached
  • 1 Fun Filled Factory
  • 2 Bags of Fluffy Stuffing
  • 12 Personality Charms Pet
  • 2 Bags of Magic Dust
  • 2 Birth Certificates
  • 1 Zipper-Up Tool

Everything you need to make two adorable and cuddly pets!

Me and my kids had a BLAST and a half making their pets and we ARE getting more!! We are purchasing all of them because they are so much fun to make and have! All you do is pull the stuff out of the box, open the fun-filled factory lid and put in half of the fluffy stuffing. Next you add the baggy of magic dust, then put in the remaining fluffy stuffing and put the lid back on. Then you attached your pet to the machine and hold on to it tightly and let your child start turning the handle on the fun-filled factory! Watch as their pet slowly comes to life, filling up and plumping up with all the fabulous stuffing!! I did have to stop between each fill to open the fun-filled factory and push down the fluff, because it was not working when it got towards the bottom. Once I did that it was perfect!!

 

Once the pet is full of fluff, your child can then pick out what personality charms they want their pets to have. Mine chose quite a few and I let them stuff them into the back of their pets! Once that was complete, it was time to zip up the pets with the enclosed zipper-up tool! That is it! All done and my kids were soooo proud that THEY made them!!!

When the pets were all done, I then filled out their “birth certificates“. I asked my kids what they wanted to name their pets, wrote it down and put my child’s name on the certificate as well as the date that they were made! Now it is official!!!

Wuggle Pets are this seasons hottest toy and I totally can see why. Kids love creating things and when they can create something that they can personalize and keep, that is so much fun for them! No wonder kids are asking for this for Christmas. And, it is totally affordable at only $19.99 for the kit. You can also buy other Wuggle Pets, which we will be doing, and make tons more. They have a great selection of them!

 

Oh, and get this, you can make them talk too! You just have to purchase the voice box!!! We are getting this, it does not cost much at all and my kids are excited to make them have their voice!! They also have little plastic clips on them so that your child can attach them to most any place. Buy them all and have a Wuggle Pet party! Your kids and their friends can make these fun cuddly pets and then trade them! So much fun to be had :)

 

 

 Buy!

You can purchase the Wuggle Pets online at https://wugglepets.com/ or on Amazon.com!

Disclosure:

I was sent product to review. These are my own honest opinions, thanks!

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